Least Likely of All II
by fourandtwenty
Summary: After years of abuse from the one person she thought she could trust, Lily is finally recused by the one person she would have never expected. When she gets pregnant at age seventeen, everything that goes wrong does. [REWRITTEN]
1. The Perfect Couple

**AN: **Well guys, after attempting to reread Least Likely of All, I decided it DESPERATELY needed editing. Therefore, I give you the edited version of a story I wrote and posted almost two years ago. It's 100 chapters long and nearly twice as long as Prisoner of Azkaban. This one will be a thousand times better, I promise. There are some things that simply can not be improved, however, and as a result this story is far from perfect. If you're reading LLOA for the first time, do yourself a favor and don't go back to read the original. You'll miss out. What you'll see here are my pathetic little edits of the story. The plot will not change, but I can guarentee you the style and maturity of it will. I was much less experienced (writing-wise) when I wrote the original version, and to be quite honest I was lacking in anything that even remotely resembled talent. Since then, I've gone on to write an unbelievable amount of crap, including three novels, one of which is published and two of which are about to be.   
  
By the way, I'm seventeen.  
  
Enjoy.  
**_  
Dedicated to Amy Gordon, who turns sixteen today, on April 18th, 2003._**  
**  
** **Chapter One: The Perfect Couple**  
  
  
_Lily Evans and James Potter, voted best couple of 1976 by all four houses. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, voted most popular group by three of the four Hogwarts houses. Lily Evans, voted prettiest 6th Year by all four of the houses. Sirius Black, voted most eligible bachelor of the Gryffindor house. Remus Lupin, voted most likely to become the next Minister of Magic. Severus Snape, voted most likely to become a Death Eater._  
  
To Severus, the thought was ridiculous, but to the rest of the school, it was inevitable. Even from the very beginning, when he took his first arrogant steps down the aisle of the Great Hall, the young boy showed all the traits; he was a first-class Slytherin and knew more hexes than the rest of the student body combined. With his long black hair and cold black eyes, he looked more menacing than any teacher ever did, even while threatening expulsion. His stare was enough to frighten any of those who were younger or naïve, and when given the choice, many would have preferred an evening with Argus Filch, the bitter Hogwarts Caretaker, rather than have to face even a moment of the wrath of the irrationally vindictive Severus Snape.  
  
However evil he looked, however much vice of which he was believed to take part, however much chaos he seemed to have caused, in a secret corner of his mind, the young man hated it. To him, it wasn't so much the fact his classmates seemed to ignore him; rather, what irritated him to the point of fury was that he had inherited the reputation to begin with. His father before him—a bastard in Severus' eyes—had done more than his share of wrongdoing within the walls of Hogwarts, and now his son, whom he rarely saw more than twice a year, was paying the price.   
  
He was constantly teased for his looks and heritage; while the insults and taunting continued to slice through his thick skin year after year, they were something he eventually learned to ignore. By the end of his third year, he firmly believer that the school would have left him alone if it hadn't been for two boys; James Potter and Sirius Black. Ringleaders of a gang they had dubbed the Marauders, since the first day the three stepped into Hogwarts, Potter and Black had tortured Severus. He didn't know what he had done to deserve their wrath, or if they simply thought it was great fun to torment people they thought lower than themselves. Either way, by their sixth year, after an incident where Sirius and James had nearly killed Severus, he had spent most of his time looking for things to get them back with; he was hell-bent on the sweetest revenge the cunning boy could muster, not only for their pranks but for their utter inability to be human.  
  
It was then, when he had begun to give up all hopes of ever being accepted, when Severus silently vowed to prove them all wrong. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and Lily Evans were the Beautiful Ones; to show the rest of the school that their precious Gryffindors were, in fact, only human was the only thing he see in his last years at Hogwarts. In his mind, they had little to do with what he would eventually turn out to be, but despite that, he was regretful in his admittance to exercising little of his self-control. He was unable to see past the present, able to only see what lay directly in front of him.   
  
Revenge was a dish best served cold, and Severus knew that the longer he waited, the more perfect and poetic justice would be Gryffindors were unable to understand the exact art of revenge, but fairness and justice were two concepts they had down pact.  
  
Severus slowly began to hate all that surrounded him: the students, the faculty, the mediocre and tedious lesions he received from the school—by the time Christmas of '76 rolled around, he was convinced that the entire six years he had attended Hogwarts had been a joke. Top of his class, yes, but always right below James Potter. The dark haired Quidditch god was the epitome of everything Severus hated, and at the same time he was everything he yearned to be. As much as he hated to admit it, he was jealous of James. Severus dreamed of having even a portion of James' popularity or a percentage of the respect James was given. The arrogant son of one of the wealthiest wizards in the country had everything he desired—everything down to the girl.  
  
Lily Evans had never acknowledged his existence, as far as Severus was concerned. Of course, every once in a while a disgusted look or nasty comment was thrown his way, but he doubted she even knew his first name. She did, however, know his last; all she ever referred to him as was 'Snape.'  
  
James Potter and Lily Evans; they were the seemingly perfect couple to everyone except the precious few who truly knew what went on. They were the most powerful and respected couple in Hogwarts, and as a result, no one dared to question their relationship, convinced it would last forever.  
  
On one snow-filled evening in the middle of their sixth year, all four male Gryffindors were gathered around the common room fire, swapping stories and boasting of a prank they had only recently managed to pull off. The fire crackled merrily as the sounds of laughter filled the air, and a calmness unrecognizable to any who hadn't sat on the cushioned red sofa sifted silently through the room.   
  
A flash of rich red announced Lily Evan's presence at the top of the staircase, and a moment later she began her descent down of the stars, clothed in robes of rich green velvet bought only hours before at one of the most expensive stores at Hogsmeade. Catching Remus' eye as she stepped onto the lushly carpeted floor, she smiled as he winked, nodding his head slightly in his approval. Before she could take another step towards the four, James whirled around and gaped at her opening, before smirking and shaking his head in a pitiful attempt to cover up what had been complimentary astonishment only moments before.  
  
"Green isn't your color, Lily," James snapped, his cold blue eyes icy with a possessive quality placed within since the day he had first laid eyes on the pretty redheaded girl. He eyed her lewdly before shaking in head in a disappointed manner, one Lily was trained to respond to with utmost obedience. "You look like a trashy whore. Go put on some decent clothes."  
  
"It isn't?" she questioned in a surprised tone. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, gentle shock evident in her gaze as she glanced away from James and looked directly at Remus, her green eyes searching for something she had yet to find. The werewolf's eyes were filled with something akin to sympathy, but Lily would hear nothing of it. Bravely, she nodded toward the group once more before pulling the hem of the luscious velvet robe off the floor and beginning her ascent to her dormitory. What had once been a gorgeously tailored masterpiece was now reduced to nothing more than a pile of rags fit not even for a servant. Years of training had robbed her of an outspoken opinion, something few had noticed.  
  
"You know, this would have been the perfect opportunity to compliment her," Remus pointed out after Lily was well out of earshot, sighing inwardly at James' harsh words towards the girl.  
  
"Why though? Whenever you compliment a girl they get all giddy and never leave you alone." James shuddered before dipping a freshly sharpened quill into an inkpot. His cool indifference to the girl he claimed he loved numbed Remus to the very core; while he harbored no feelings of lust, he readily admitted to feeling protective of the girl in what could only be described in a sister-like manner. He had sat back and watched their relationship progress for years, but never could he muster the courage to tell one of his best friends off. James was powerful, more so than Remus would ever be, and he cherished the friendships he had developed with the other three too much to lose them over something as trivial as an attitude problem.   
  
"Five words my friend, five words," Sirius said with a grin, holding up a splayed hand showing four fingers and a thumb. He was sitting directly across from Remus, yet was oblivious to the obvious discomfort his friend was feeling.  
  
"And which five words are those?" Peter Pettigrew smirked, adjusting his robes slightly so his potbelly was completely concealed. The least admirable and attractive of the three, he was nonetheless treated equally and considered a vital member of their exclusive group. Remus had always seen him as a follower of James; Peter was unable to think for himself and was always looking up toward the more popular and charismatic boy. Underneath his calm exterior, he was wary not of Peter's loyalty, but of his placement within their group. Remus was by no means an elitist, but from the very first moment he had laid eyes on the pudgy boy and caught a whiff of his slightly pungent odor, he had carried an internal dislike for him, one he hoped would never have the opportunity to surface.  
  
"'To get in her pants.'" Sirius shot his best friend a knowing look before punching his shoulder with all the force of an excited sixteen-year-old behind his fist.  
  
"Damn…good point." James scowled slightly and returned to the piece of parchment on which he was doodling. His drawing depicted a rather violent Quidditch match, one where a dark-haired Chaser, the emblem of Gryffindor plainly visible on the figure's robes, thought it prudent to introduce the opposing team's Keeper—a Slytherin—to the rough and splintering handle of his broomstick. He was putting the finishing touches on the drawing just as Lily came back down, dressed modestly in her school robes once again.  
  
"Sorry, James," she apologized softly after sitting down next to him. In her eyes, a repressed fear was plainly evident, but only Remus paid enough attention to the redheaded girl to notice.  
  
"It's okay, luv," he said in a low voice, bringing his calloused hand up to brush the pale smoothness of her skin. "I'm sorry I was so harsh—you just looked so beautiful in those robes, I didn't want to share you with the other guys." His voice, harsh and critical before, was now smooth and loving as he nuzzled her neck and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. The other three tried to watch the couple without being obvious, all failing miserably. The pair ignored them, however, and after a moment of manipulative maneuvers on James' part, Lily's face was flushed and her green eyes danced brightly.  
  
"Would you like to go upstairs and see it?" she asked in a low voice after inching her face away from James'. "I really think you'll like it."  
  
"I'm sure I will," James replied as he took Lily's small hand in his own. The two stood up and he led her to the stairway, taking the time to briefly glance back at his three friends, two of whom were trying desperately not to laugh.  
  
"Score one for Potter!" Sirius exclaimed before giving Peter a high-five. Remus just glanced up forlornly towards the staircase James and Lily had disappeared up, sighing once more to himself as he looked downwards towards his hands in pity. The Lily he knew was a smart girl; to see her fall all over herself in order to please James made him lose more than a little faith in the world and the way he felt things should be.  
  
  
  
  
  
The next morning, Lily and James ambled into the Great Hall for breakfast nearly half an hour late. None of the Gryffindors were surprised; they had seen to what extent the two had taken their relationship, and they had grown accustomed to seeing the pair holding one another up while trying to make it on time, whether it be to a class or a meal. Severus, seated toward the back of the Slytherin table, however, was disgusted at the scene unfolding in front of him, along with the rest of the Great Hall; James had wrapped his muscular left arm around Lily's small shoulders tightly, chaining her to his side. Even from a distance Severus could see the dark circles under her eyes. She looked as if she hadn't slept in days, and for a moment Snape felt a pang of deep concern, one that surprised even him. What shocked him the most was that as James brought his hand down to rub her upper arm in what looked to be a comforting gesture, he could plainly make out the wince that dashed across her face before she regained control of her features.   
  
As he leaned over his bacon, Severus' eyes shifted from the Gryffindor table back to his own plate. There was nothing immediate he could contribute regarding the manner, but his history insisted he do what little he could. The Snapes, while one of the most prestigious wizarding families there were, had a history of abuse a mile wide, one Severus was unable to escape. While he himself had never experienced what his father had gone through, during the summer holidays, each time he heard the shouts and cries coming from his parents' side of the manor, he had to exercise every restraint he could muster not to help his mother. Abuse, both physical and verbal, was something he had grown accustomed to, but he had yet to accept it as a fact of life and he was sure he never would.  
  
Throughout their first class of the day, Transfiguration, Severus tried to catch Lily's eye, but it was only towards the end of the hour that he was successful. He was shocked to see the vivid emerald of her eyes dulled and her demeanor lacking in enthusiasm for what he had assumed her favorite lesson to be. While James was turned around talking to Sirius, Severus inconspicuously walked by her desk and managed to catch her attention over a large porcupine. He nodded toward her in acknowledgement, surprised when he received a silently cordial greeting in return.  
  
"I need to talk to you," he said in the lowest voice he could manage, so as to not alert James of his intentions.   
  
She shot him a curious look, shrinking back slightly from his menacing stance. "After class," she said warily, in a voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"Of course," he replied even as he began to walk away. His cool exterior refused to betray the utmost astonishment his insides were reeling with; the times when the two of them had spoken civilly to one another were few and far between, and he was anxious to see how their impending meeting would end up.  
  
He gathered his supplies much slower than usual as he waited for Lily to excuse herself from the massive group of Gryffindors that had surrounded her immediately after class had ended. She was one of the most well-liked students in the school, and she was always in the presence of more than a few friends. She gracefully pleaded the need to speak with Professor McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher, and soon she was left standing alone in the doorway leading back out into the cool stone corridor.  
  
"What do you want, Snape?" she asked in a voice that lacked her normal amount of bite, her eyes darting around as if she was afraid to be caught with such formidable company as the much taller boy approached her.  
  
After a moment of simply staring at her freckled features, Severus narrowed his eyes slightly and allowed himself to slouch. "I just wanted to know if you were all right," Severus said quietly in a blunt tone of voice. Dancing around the subject had never been something he approved of, and he was set on making a lasting impression on the Gryffindor. "You look like hell and that bruise on your arm is probably turning a nasty shape of purple right about now."  
  
Her shocked expression was enough to convey her emotions. Severus blanched inwardly at the way she allowed her feelings to show blatantly upon her face.   
  
"How do you know…?" Lily whispered after a long moment of silence. She looked up at him with questioning eyes, her right hand gingerly touching her left arm.  
  
"Observation," Severus said with a dismissive shrug, his eyes focused on a spot on the stone wall some five feet behind her. He wasn't much for confrontation, and the lack of insults exchanged between them was more than a little intimidating. While he was experiencing a shocking show of genuine concern for the girl, he didn't know how to handle it and was regretful in his eagerness to move on.  
  
"Well…" There was another long pause, and this time Lily shifted her stance uncomfortably. "Thank you for asking," she finally said, her gaze meeting Severus' in an open show of gratitude. "And yes," she added, "I'm fine. I'll live, anyway."   
  
Both parties heard the sharp sounds of footsteps falling from around the corner, breaking the tentative concentration the two had placed upon one another. Lily glanced over her shoulder, surprised to see Remus Lupin turning the corner. Severus scowled slightly, but refused to allow his disgust to show too much, in fear of insulting Lily. Instead of paying attention to the boy, he looked directly down toward Lily once more, his intense gaze making her involuntarily freeze and listen with rapture. The silky sounds of his voice were enough to make even Remus stop walking, his ears pricking up as he heard each word the Slytherin was saying.  
  
"Listen, if you ever want to talk…" It pained Severus to speak those words and it pained Lily even more to hear them, but he refused to back down from his goal. No matter how much he disliked the girl, he didn't want to see her in trouble. That simple thought was enough to keep him motivated, no matter how many people heard. At that moment in time, pride wasn't an issue; safety and security were the only things for which he strived. "I know we're different and everything, but I can listen if you need someone," Severus said quietly, eyeing Remus suspiciously out of the corner of his eye.  
  
"Thanks for the offer," Lily responded in a soft voice before glancing over her should once more. "Maybe someday, I'll take you up on it." She bit her bottom lip and hugged her books tightly to her chest. "I'll talk to you later."  
  
"All right," Severus replied smoothly, this time having no qualms with glaring over toward the brown-haired boy. With a final nod toward Lily, Severus departed in a cloud of black, leaving Remus to run up toward Lily, who was staring after the Slytherin prefect with a look of pure astonishment dripping off of her features. Remus shot a curious glance in Severus' direction before turning toward Lily once again, concern evident in his gaze.  
  
"Why were you talking to that piece of Slytherin scum?" he asked in a tone that was neither harsh nor accusatory. Instead, it was one full of worry that rewarded him with the redhead's full attention. "He's really not stable enough for you to be left alone with him," Remus murmured, touching Lily's shoulder n what he meant as a friendly gesture.  
  
Lily flinched in pain, an action not lost on Remus, and shrugged his hand off before clutching her books even more tightly to her chest.   
  
He sighed, a look of hopelessness brushing his graceful features. "You shouldn't let James do that to you, Lily."  
  
She shook her head as she felt the very beginnings stabs of tears of frustration sting against the back of her eyes. "Well, what else am I supposed to do? Stand up to him?" She blinked back a wayward tear, the biting tone of sarcasm creeping into her voice. "I'm sure that'll help. Make him stop right then, that will."  
  
"I can try to talk to him if you'd like," Remus suggested, ignoring her sarcasm. What went on between Lily and James might have been lost on the other two, but he was acutely aware of how she was treated. "I'm his friend, he should listen to me."  
  
"Remus, thanks, but I'm his girlfriend," Lily pointed out in a tired voice. "He claims he loves me, so why shouldn't he listen to me?" With a shake of her head, she motioned for the two to start making their way down the corridor. Remus fell in easily with Lily's strides, his gaze ever-concentrated on her soft features.   
  
"Besides," she started once again as the two rounded a corner. "If he even thinks I told you anything, I won't be able to move for a week." She sniffed slightly, bringing her hand up to touch her bruised arm gently, "He's really a good man, you know that, right?" she asked in a soft voice.  
  
"Yeah, I know," Remus answered, laying his hand fondly on her uninjured shoulder.  
  
"He just doesn't know how to handle his anger," she continued in a far-away voice. "I'm the closest thing to him most of the time. Therefore I usually end up being the target." She furrowed her eyebrows and trained her unsure gaze toward the cobblestone floor. "It's not his fault, I really shouldn't make him so mad."  
  
Remus squeezed her shoulder gently before dropping his hand back down to his side. "If that's what you want to believe, Lily, then believe it. I don't agree with you and I certainly can't do anything about James, but talking to Snape sure as hell isn't going to help the situation."  
  
"He seems…nice," she said carefully, her tone measured and balanced. "It's not his fault he's like that, I guess."  
  
Remus shot his friend a half-grin. "Lily, with you, nothing is ever anyone's fault."  
  
Lily turned her head toward him and smiled slightly, her eyes once again dancing with something akin to happiness. "One day that'll change, Remus…eventually."  
  



	2. As the Mermaid Sleeps

**  
Chapter Two: As the Mermaid Sleeps**  
  
Severus and Lily continued on as if their encounter had never happened, and life at Hogwarts was as it should be. Severus was still taunted by the sixth-year Gryffindor boys as much as possible, but after one particular vicious exchange of words, he noticed the bite had been taken out of Lily's insults. He was used to often hearing disgraces of his heritage and looks, and while Lily was still as willing as ever to take part in the action, her eyes lacked the gleam usually evident while such an encounter took place. Severus thought little of it, attributing the lack of enthusiasm to her relationship with James and how he treated her. There was no doubt in the Slytherin's mind that she was being victimized, but her foolish Gryffindor pride would never allowed for her to admit such a thing.  
  
A few weeks after their initial encounter, Severus was walking through the corridors in the late evening with a blank look on his face. The air around him was quiet and still, and for once he was enjoying the peace. That was all shattered, however, when he turned a corner and heard a faint sob echoing through the corridors.  
  
"Bloody hell," he mumbled to himself. Nothing was more disconcerting than a sobbing first year, and he was in no emotional state to deal with homesickness. Devilish curiosity overrode his innate sense of annoyance, however, and he couldn't help but following the sounds of the sobs. He quietly made his way down the corridor until the opening to the prefects' baths came into view. The portrait was slightly open and from his vantage point, he could barely make out what looked to be the hem of the standard student robe. His mind was bursting with inquisition and his footsteps quickened as the need to know what was happening burned into his mind. As he came nearer to the portrait hole, he was surprised to find the last person he expected to see with their head in their hands and legs dangling out the entrance, back heaving with sobs:  
  
Lily.  
  
Before he could decide whether or not he should approach her, Lily looked up and saw him through her tears. With a barely audible sigh, she forced herself to sit up straight and she beckoned him towards her. He fully expected her to dismiss him and was surprised when, after he stepped directly in front of her, she looked him straight in the eye, allowing him to see the honesty of her words.  
  
"Listen, Snape," she started, taking a brief glance down the corridor to make sure they were alone. "Before you get the wrong idea about this all…" Lily sighed once more, running her fingers through her long auburn hair. "I'm fine, all right?"  
  
"No, you're not," Severus said more sharply than he had intended before shaking his head. "Remus and I both know you're not fine. Hopefully you're at least taking the time to listen to him, if not to me."  
  
Lily scowled slightly, a flush rising in her already rosy cheeks. "Neither of you two are listening to me—I'm fine, really. I'm not helpless, you know." She leaned back a bit, averting her gaze from his own penetrating stare. "I can handle him."  
  
Severus smirked, crossing his arms in front of him as he assessed the barely visible purple marks decorating her jaw and cheeks. "Of course, Evans, how could I have been so blind? The marks on your face are definitely telling me how _well _you're handling him." His tone was smooth and dangerous, a fact not lost on her.  
  
Lily shot him a warning look before getting up silently and turning her back toward the Slytherin. She then walked into the luxurious baths, waving her hand as an indicator for Severus to follow her. With a fast look over his shoulders to make sure no one was watching, he stepped through the entrance soundlessly, his eyes widening with surprise at the room she led him into.  
  
In the middle of the astonishingly huge and tiled room, adorned with silver and gold, was a large pool big enough in which one could swim laps. Surrounding the pool were golden taps, each showing off a different colored jewel that sparked in the low light of the candles that were lit all along the walls. Severus looked off to his left, raising an eyebrow with interest as he caught sight of a blonde mermaid sleeping on a rock in a painting on one of the walls.  
  
"Snape, listen to me." The harsh sound of Lily's voice was enough to bring Severus out of the trance he found himself in, making him jump slightly. "If anyone finds out about this, and I mean _anyone_ —" She trailed off, the impending silence worse than her hostile tone. "If anyone finds out about this, Snape, I'll have your head on a platter." Her voice was softer that time, much to Severus' surprise. She then turned around back toward the pool before toeing her shoes off and sitting down on one side of the pool, carefully dipping her bare feet into the steaming water.  
  
"What a way to start a conversation," Severus commented with a raised eyebrow, cautiously moving to sit down next to her. He hesitated momentarily, unsure of what he was doing was acceptable to correct. After a few seconds of silence, however, he plunged ahead in a reckless manner than scared even him. "Just tell me what's going on," he started, "and I swear I'll do everything in my power to help you."  
  
Lily had stopped crying the moment she noticed Severus back in the corridor, but her eyes were still rimmed with red. Rubbing one with the back of her hand, she turned towards him, her gaze steady and strong.   
  
"Snape, you only know half of what he does," she said firmly, her voice low. "James is great, really, but he gets angry a lot. He's under so much stress with Quidditch and the House Cup…" She paused, taking the time to decide exactly what to tell the Slytherin. There was little justification or rational as to why she was spilling her heart out to a boy she had been told to hate since her first day as a Gryffindor, but as the two of them sat on the side of the pool, their feet making small circles in the water, all that mattered was that talking to him felt right.  
  
"Go on," Severus urged in a neutral tone, not wanting her to know he was fixated on her every word. Compassion wasn't something that came easily to him, but to see such a strong girl victimized by the very thing that had haunted his home-life for so long pulled at him in a way he couldn't resist. He felt not only compelled, but obligated to do what he could to help her.   
  
Her voice was strained and her shoulders slumped as she spoke, making Severus' scowl deepen. "It just doesn't seem right refusing him or anything," she whispered, unable to look him in the eye any longer, instead choosing to concentrate on the glistening water of the pool.  
  
"You mean he…?" Severus trailed off as his eyes widened with disbelief. He leaned forward slightly, trying to get her to look back up at him.   
  
"It only hurt the first time," Lily whispered once more, her eyes now darting back and forth between the water and the wall as she did everything in her power to avoid Severus' penetrating stare.  
  
He took in a deep breath, not knowing what to say. The absolute honesty of her confession astounded him, and he wanted nothing more than to comfort her. He resisted the urge to touch her, however, knowing full well such an action would do more harm than good. "If you don't want to, he's not supposed to do that…" He paused, his gaze locked onto his hands that were set in his lap. "It's not right," he finished quietly, in a voice far more pathetic than he could have ever imagined.   
  
"I know, but it's okay—really, I don't mind." She looked back up at him, her tone firm. He could tell by the self-loathing look in her eyes that she wasn't trying to convince him; instead, she was trying to convince herself that what she said was the truth. "It's 1976, after all. We're not our parent's generation, that kind of stuff is acceptable." She gazed back down toward the pool, her small foot coming in brief contact with Severus' own bare heel. "I'm okay though, really. He's always been careful, or at least he'd tried to be. No matter what he acts like, he _does _ love me," she insisted, her voice rising a notch.  
  
Severus sighed. "That kind of thing is _never _acceptable, Lily. I have no idea what you're getting yourself into, but like I said before, if you ever need someone to talk to—" His hand hovered briefly over hers, but he stopped before his skin came in contact with hers. "I'm here."  
  
Lily smiled and put her hand on his shoulder tentatively. "I know, and if I ever need your help, I'll be sure to ask."   
  
Severus nodded, lost in his thoughts. After a minute of comfortable silence between the two, he slowly stood up and offered his hand to Lily, who took it gratefully. He pulled her up, the motion between them graceful and natural. Once she was steady on both of her wet feet, he expected her to let go of the grip she had on his fingers. To his surprise, however, she continued to curl her fingers around his own, the gesture more comforting than anything.  
  
"You realize if James ever found out about this, we'd both be dead." Lily grinned as the two of them made their way slowly back towards the entrance, past the sleeping mermaid. While they were conversing, both had stepped upon white fluffy towels, drying their feet off before bending down and grabbing the shoes they had discarded.  
  
"And he'd have a life sentence in Azkaban, so it all works out in the end," Severus said with a slight smile as they reached the painting once more. Without saying another word, they both climbed out into the cobblestone corridor and started to head in opposite directions without so much as a goodbye. A moment later, her conscience got the better of her, however, and Lily turned around quickly to call over her shoulder toward him.  
  
"Severus!"   
  
His name didn't feel as odd as she had expected it to feel on her tongue; instead, the rolling syllables and the hiss of his name somehow felt right, as if it were made for her to speak.   
  
Severus spun around quickly, surprised at the sound of his first name passing through her lips. Never before had she addressed him by his first name; the change of pace was novel, one he thought he might be able to adjust to.  
  
"Thanks again," she said quietly, her demeanor suddenly shy. "It means a lot to me." Without another word, Lily waved once more and spun around on her heel, walking as fast as she could in the opposite direction, back toward the Gryffindor common rooms.  
  
"You're welcome," Severus said quietly, long after she had disappeared from view. For a moment, he was rooted to the spot, too shocked to move. For years, all he had received from the Gryffindors was hissing insults and slashes meant to maim his already shaky reputation. To know his impression of Lily Evans might have been less than fair was a blow, one he wasn't sure he didn't begrudgingly approve of.  
  
It was something he thought he might just be able to get used to.  
  
With that, he turned the corner and made his way back to the Slytherin common room, trying desperately and unsuccessfully to suppress a smile all the way.  
  



	3. Dream Pretty Dreams

**Chapter Three: Dream Pretty Dreams**  
  
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Well guys, I decided to change the format of the story a bit. This suddenly became it's own chapter, instead of being combined with the next events. With that being said, let it be known I have uped the rating to **R**, where it properly belongs and will stay for the remainder of this story. I've grown up a bit since writing this, guys, and it won't be the naive piece of fiction it was two years ago.  
Aimée  
  
  
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Lily lay awake that night, thinking about her uncomfortably intimate conversation with Severus. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right; while there was little she could do about his attitude, she had to at least try to stand up to James. In her eyes, he wasn't the bad man Severus believed him to be; James was one of the most caring people she had ever met. Part of the problem, she decided, was his friends, especially Sirius; the dark haired boy egged James on each time Lily even remotely tried to stand up to him which, of course, led to more bruises. He never did it in front of everyone, only in the privacy of an otherwise empty dormitory, and he swore he always felt terrible about the things he did. James always tried to make it up to her, even if he had to miss Quidditch practice or a class. He loved her; she knew that to be as true as anything else in her life. He simply didn't know how to show it.  
  
Severus Snape had been the enemy from day one. She was never allowed to talk to him—nor had she ever felt the temptation to do such a thing before that day—as that would have been a serious blow to her reputation and status as a prefect at Hogwarts. James would have never allowed the conversation that took place between she and Severus tonight to happen—never. She was sure James would have rather died than have his girlfriend talk to whom he considered to be lower than the scum off the walls of Azkaban.  
  
She sighed and rolled over to her other side. The duvet was comfortable and warmed by the heat her body was radiating, leaving her in a half-drowsy state. Lily was on the cusp of surrendering to the heavy lulls of sleep when the door to her dormitory opened. Thinking it was one of her roommates, Lily gave the sudden intrusion little thought, waiting for whomever it was to crawl into their own bed and sleep. She closed her eyes once more, content in the blackness of her world until the heavy scarlet curtains hanging from her bed were pulled back, revealing the last person she wanted to face at that point in time.  
James.  
  
"Merlin!" She swore, sitting up and drawing her knees to her chest as she forced her eyes to focus on the dark figure standing over her. "James? What are you doing here?"  
  
He sat down beside her, the added weight of his athletically fit body making the bed-frame groan and her own petite body slide toward him, down the slope the mattress had formed. He brought his hand up and began gently stroking her cheek with his thumb before leaning forward to press his lips against hers in a kiss that was neither a greeting nor romantic; instead, it spoke of belonging and submission, none of the things Lily had dreamt of as a child.  
  
After a moment of moving his heavy lips against hers, he slowly backed far enough away to be able to look her straight in the eye. His stare commanded attention and instant gratification of his wishes, and Lily wasn't immune to what those two cold orbs could make one do.  
  
"Hello, Lily," he said in a dangerously calm voice before saying the words she would have never expected him to say, yet had somehow known he would. "I know about your little escapade with Snape."  
  
Lily froze as her stomach lurched and her heart fluttered frantically in her chest. She pressed her lips together, aware of how frighteningly and unnaturally pale she must have become.   
  
There had to be a way out of this.  
  
"James, I—"  
  
He raised his hand up to her lips, as to silence her. On his pale features he wore a playful smile, one Lily had seen far too many times before to take at face value. "Say no more," he said in a hushed tone, one that made a shiver run down her spine. "I know what you were doing."   
  
Her heart beat so fast she feared it would leap out of her chest at any given time. Her palms were slick with sweat and she was sure the rest of her body under the duvet wasn't much drier. She didn't know what to expect; nothing in her years with James could have ever prepared her for that moment. She wanted desperately for him to be angry; anything would have been better than the uncertainty she was being forced to face.  
  
His words finally came, slowly and deliberately soft. His breath brushed against her cheek as he spoke, reminding her of how close he was to her vulnerable body. "And I think you're brilliant for doing so."   
  
For the briefest of moments, her green eyes widened until she regained control of her motor skills. "B-Brilliant?" Lily stuttered, not having any idea of what he was talking about. Wasn't he supposed to be angry with her? She had confessed her problems to the one person he couldn't stand; why wasn't he punishing her? Was this another one of the games he loved to play? She couldn't wrap her mind around why he found her activities amusing, how he could have ever seen them to his advantage.  
  
"You seducing Snape? It's better than anything I could have ever come up with." His voice cut through the heavy silence that had filled the room like a knife, startling her out of her thoughts. What was even more shocking was what he was saying; he actually thought she had deliberately twisted Severus around her finger.  
  
"That little Death Eater won't know what hit him," he continued with a shake of his head. Lily could practically see the wheels turning in his head, and the notion made her physically sick. Whatever he was trying to come up with—it couldn't have been good.  
  
He leaned forward until his lips were next to her ear. She could feel the tickle of his breath against her neck and she suppressed a shudder. "Make him fall in love with you, Lily." His voice was thick and had his mouth not have been next to her ear, she would have never heard him. "Make him want to die for you."  
  
She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, the implications of what he was saying shaking her to her very core. In the precious time she had spent with the boy, Lily had come to like Severus more than she was willing to admit. He was a novelty, his sarcasm and wit clashing with the nobility and arrogance she was so used to from the Gryffindor boys. She didn't want to hurt him, yet the survival instinct that was so thoroughly ingrained within every living creature's mind fought against what she knew to be right. She didn't want to hurt Severus, but if she didn't go along with James' plan, she herself might very well end up in the worse condition of her life. It wasn't wise under any circumstances to refuse James. She was determined to fight him in any way she could, however, no matter how mundane or insignificant her efforts might be.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Her voice was small but her question was relevant. She belonged to James, not Severus; why would the golden boy of Hogwarts ever even think about allowing his girlfriend a few romantic rendezvous with one of the most hated students in the school? There was little point to the whole matter, the only possible exception being James' own maniacal amusement.   
  
James looked surprised at her questioning his intentions. She usually followed his commands faithfully, without so much as voicing a disagreement or differing of opinion. "You should know, of course," he answered in a low voice, his fingertips lightly brushing her bare collarbone. The nightgown she wore was flimsy and nearly transparent in the candlelight of the dormitory, and he took delight in making her know how much he controlled her.  
  
"Make him love you more than he's ever loved anyone in the world," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Kiss him, touch him, pretend to love him—do everything in your power to make him enraptured. Then," he said slowly, as if speaking to a young child, "as the year progresses, break his heart. Tell him how much you truly despise him; tell him how much you love me, how the two of us make love and laugh at his ignorance." The glint in his eyes was more than enough to scare Lily, but it was his voice that drove the stake of fear into her heart. Mad and enthralled by the idea of causing such pain to the boy, James sounded as if he were frothing at the mouth. Finally, he brought his hands up to the base of her throat, wrapping his strong fingers around her neck as he stroked the pulsing artery in her neck with the soft pad of his thumb.   
  
"Make him want to die."  
  
Lily resisted the urge to shake her head, not believing the atrocities she was hearing. Never before had he become so entranced with the idea of making someone's life hell, and that he was capable of such a thing scared her more than she was willing to admit. Finally, she gathered the courage to speak, swallowing hard with James' fingers still wrapped around her neck.   
  
"What are the conditions?" she said in the firmest voice she could muster. To show her fear would be to let him know he controlled her, and for him to know that he controlled her would lead to him loving her in the worst way possible.  
  
James smirked and relaxed his grip, choosing instead to bring his hand down to rest over her heart. "Whatever you do," he said in a hoarse voice, "don't let him fuck you. That's my job, not his."  
  
Lily nodded numbly, slightly taken aback by his blunt use of the word. "All right," she said softly. "Will you tell me when to dump him?"  
  
James smiled the coy smile she was so used to seeing before leaning in to press his lips against hers once more. "Of course," he said after a moment of silence. "And if he starts to give you hell, tell me and I'll make sure he never lays a hand on you again."   
_Always such a gentleman, James,_ Lily thought as his hands slipped underneath the hemline of her nightgown. _You can do anything you bloody well please to me, but you won't let anyone else touch me. Must be bloody wonderful, being you._  
  
"What about our relationship?" Lily asked as James began to move forward, forcing her backwards onto the pillows. His strong body, still fully-clothed, hovered only inches above her own as his roaming hands pushing her nightgown up above her hips. She automatically wriggled her way out of the rest of the pastel fabric, leaving her clothed in only her undergarments.  
  
"We'll stage a breakup," James told her, his eyes glazed over slightly with the pure pleasure of thinking up such an elaborate scheme, one that was sure to cause his greatest enemy an immeasurable amount of unbearable pain. "It'll have to be a big one, in front of everyone in the Great Hall, probably at breakfast. That'll provide the time for you and Snape to get together before everyone heads back to their dorms." He paused as he touched the base of her throat with his soft fingertips and began to trace an obscure pattern down to her navel. "You'll have to cry, of course, and I'll have to be a git."  
  
"Else it wouldn't look real," Lily said in a soft voice, stiff as a board under his dangerously gentle touch.  
  
"You know it wouldn't be for real though, right?" he asked, maneuvering his way down to kiss the soft flesh of her stomach. "You know I love you and that anything I say would be a lie, right?"  
  
"Of course," she said in a choked voice. He lifted himself back up so he could look directly in her eyes, and Lily found no hint of the previous glint of insanity within his gaze, one that was now filled with hunger and lust. She deftly brought her slender fingers up to start undoing the buttons of his shirt, wanting to make the night pass as fast as possible. The quicker he was undressed, the less he would be able to restrain himself from her, and the fast it would be over. Sometimes, he tried to make the experience as wondrous for her as he found it, but she could tell that tonight wouldn't be one of those nights.  
  
Soon, he was undressed, the sun-kissed skin of his taunt body in great contrast to her own pale nakedness. She could feel his erection pressing up against her hip, and she was surprised to find him in such a state after so little foreplay. With a sudden flash of insight, she realized that talking of the fate Severus Snape was to receive had turned him on; words, thoughts, and mental images had been enough to make him want her—or at the very least, want what she could give him.  
  
As he had been so many nights before, he paid little attention to her own wants. He moved his mouth to her breasts, running the tip of his tongue teasingly across the top of each mound before the biting and sucking began. His antics were painful and often left bruises, but that wasn't for him to know. The only reason he even bothered was to make sure she was suitably aroused for his entry to be met with little resistance.   
  
There was no emotion in her responses; simply physical reactions to which she had long since grown accustomed. She arched her body up against him and let out a little gasp as she normally did, trying to slide her body down the sheets so it was once again in line with his.  
  
There was little she could do, however; James was much more powerful than she, and he wasn't afraid to let it be known. Before she could squirm her way down the mattress, he was there, touching her in a place he had owned for years.  
  
"Do you love me?" he asked in a demanding tone, his thick finger sliding into her wetness—but only enough to make her gasp in surprise. She hadn't expected that tonight.  
  
"Yes," she said in a ragged voice, one she knew he loved to hear. She moved against him, trying to get him to go deeper, but instead he removed his finger, the tip of which was slick with her. To her utmost shock, he moved it upwards onto the nub that was the central of all her pleasure without so much as a warning.  
  
She gasped, arching up instinctively into his hand. He began making tiny circles with his finger, sending jolts through her, and from the fire that danced brightly in his eyes, she could tell he was enjoying himself.  
  
"Tell me who you love," he asked, increasing the friction.  
  
Her eyes widened and she felt a spasm rip through her body. She wasn't supposed to be enjoying this.  
  
"You," she gasped. "I love you, James."  
  
His lips curled into a smile as he continued to control her with a single touch. "What do you want me to do, Lily? Do you want me to stop?"  
  
His voice was wicked and she knew she shouldn't give in, but the pleasure that was washing over her was the only think she could concentrate on. She hadn't the energy to resist, nor did she want to.  
  
"I want you to fuck me," she said in a pleading tone. "Don't stop—I want you inside of me, James. Please, I'll do anything—just—now."  
  
She was so close to the edge, she could taste it. He sensed this, however, and drew his hand away from her. The moment he did so, she became to calm down, his touch the only thing keeping her in such a state.  
  
Without a word, he positioned himself atop her and slide quickly inside, filling her until there was nothing less to fill. Lily closed her eyes, a spark of what she had felt only moments early shooting through her once more.  
  
She shouldn't be enjoying this.  
  
"Remember who I am," he whispered fiercely in her ear before continuing. "You're mine, Lily, and you always will be."  
  
With those words, Lily couldn't help but picturing the dark-haired Slytherin James was plotting to destroy. As the image of his pale features came into her mind, his face replaced the one looming above her. Instead of James, it was Severus who was inside of her, Severus who she had chosen to share her bed with. He hadn't forced himself upon her; instead, she imagined he had asked her to marry him and she had accepted. Such a scenario would never be possible with him, she knew, and when the time came when James would propose, it wouldn't be the romantic event she had wished for ever since meeting him.  
  
It was Severus, she told herself, not James. Severus was the one who told her he loved her; he was the one she loved, not James. He was the one she'd spend the rest of her life with.  
  
The tension inside of her was building as she pictured this, and suddenly, as James let out a groan and emptied his seed within her, her own body exploded into a thousand different sensations, each more pleasurable than the last.  
  
It was Severus, not James.  
  
She smiled to herself as James collapsed next to her, most likely exhausted and wanting to sleep. What pleasant dreams she could dream, but she knew who she was. She knew her place in life, next to one of the most highly sought-after heirs in the wizarding world. He had chosen her to be with him, and such a privilege wasn't one to be taken lightly.  
  
She dreamed pretty dreams, but she knew exactly who she was.  
  



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